Convertible table.



H. R. BROWN.

CONVERTIBLE TABLE,

APPLICATQON FILED MAR. 29 l9l5.

Lgmgfigm Patented Jan. 16,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I. 5 W 7/ 2 ml? ATTORNEY H. R. BROWN.

CONVERTIBLE TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29. m5.

Patented J an. 16, 3917.

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nitrite stra ns HARLOW 3.. BROWN, 01? YONKELRS, NEW YORK, ASSIGINOR TOPHILIP STBOEEL & SONS, INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CONVERTIBLE TABLE.

Application filed March 29, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HARLOW R. Brown, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Yonkers, county oflVestchester, and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Convertible Tables, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in convertible tables.

By the use of my invention I am enabled to produce a table, convertiblewith great rapidity and by very simple and inexpensive means, from atype with a square or polygonal top to a round top type andvice versa,and in which the hinged portions or exten sion leaves will, when inextended position, not only be securely supported but will be heldagainst movement or strains in the opposite directions by means of atraveling connection of the supporting element with the hinged leaf. Allstrains which may, in the carrying of the table be caused by taking holdof the extended hinged leaves and which would, under ordinarycircumstances be applied to the hinges, will be compensated for, theretention of the leaves against the support being accomplishedsimultaneously with the movement of the support to supporting position,so that any movement of the supporting element to support the leaf orleaves will cause a corresponding retention or locking of the extensionleaves to the support. Furthermore, when the extension leaves are movedinto folded position, I provide in the support a simple looking dogcutout from and lying, when in unusedposition, within the planes of saidsupporting element, for retaining the extension leaves in such foldedposition.

I will now describe the preferred embodiment of my invention and thenpoint out the novel features in claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which similar reference charactersdesignate corre sponding parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 isa bottom view of a table embodying my invention, two of the extensionleaves being shown in folded position and two in extended position; Fig.2 is an en- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 16, lQll't.

Serial 1%. 17,653.

larged section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1

showing an extension leaf in folded. position; Fig. 3 is a section onthe line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4: is an enlarged section of an extensionleaf and support similar to that illustrated in Fig. 3, the leaf beingin extended position; Fig. 5 is a modified form of my improved devicefor providing a traveling locking connection or engagement be tween thesupport and leaf; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary bottom view of the deviceshown in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section on the line 7-7 of Fig.1, showing a simple flat spring which may be employed if desired toretain the support in its full open position.

Referring now to these drawings, 1 designates the body portion of thetable-top which, as shown, is square in conformation and is supported bya rectangular supporting-framc 2, which is provided at each corner withlegs 8 3 -3 3. The square body portion 1 extends as shown outwardly fromthe frame 2 a suflicient distance to permit the folding thereunder ofextension leaves 4% which are suitably hinged by hinges to the edges ofthe body portion and which when extended, will change'the conformationof the table to circular but when folded will lie flat against the undersurface of the body portion so as to be entirely out of the way.

By my invention, I provide a supporting member 6 which, as shown, ishinged to the frame 2 at 6 and is adapted to be swung in the arc of acircle from a position. parallel with a side of the frame to itsleaf-supporting position at an angle thereto, and said supporting memberwill by means of a travcling connection with-the leaf automatically andduring its movement beneath the leaf to said supporting position, engageor grip the extension leaf from beneath. My preferred means forproviding said traveling connection between said supporting member andthe leaf to be supported consists in provid-" ing the end of thesupporting member with arigid gripping-iron 7 suitably secured at theouter edge thereof and preferably bent as shown in Figs. 3 and 4: tohave a hooked portion 7 which preferably extends into an arc-shaped slot8 formed concentrically with the arc of movement of said supportingelement, the said slot preferably being formed by cutting or depressingin the bottom of the extension leaf and also in the bottom surface ofthat portion of the body of the table top 1 that extends beyond theframe an arc-shaped groove 8 preferably co-extensive and concentric withthe arc of movement of said supporting member 6, and securing tooverhang one edge of said groove in the leaf portion thereof anarc-shaped bearing iron or track 9, which is preferably set in flushwith the bottom surface of the leaf and is engaged by the said hookedportion 7 at all times during the movement of the supporting memberbeneath said extension leaf.

Another form of traveling connection between the leaf and supportingelement is shown 1n Figs. 5 and 6 1n which, lnstead of the depressedgroove 8*, I provide an areshaped angular member 10 suitably secured byscrews or the like to the bottom of the table and having a flange 10spaced from the table to form a slot 11 into which an end portion. 12 ofa. gripping iron 12, hooked or bent in a direction opposite to the firstmentioned hook 7, extends and at all times bears against the flange 10.

In either form of said invention, it will be obvious that when a personin carrying a table from one place to another grips the outer edge ofthe extension leaf, the weight of the table will through the travelingconnection be supported by the supporting members, and all such strainswhich, in such a carrying operation, is usually placed upon the hinges5, will be provided for by the supporting member which is, of course, ofsuch rigid construction as to be fully capable of taking care of suchstrains. Furthermore, it will be seen that so soon as the supportingmember begins its supporting function it immediately begins its grippingfunction, and if, for example, through carelessness of a waiter in ahotel or other person handling the table, the supporting memher is notmoved into its fully open position the leaf Will be retained againstupward strain to the same extent that it is supported against downwardstrain and no ill results will follow. 7

To apprise the user of the table when the supporting member is infull-open position,

I provide suitable stops and also preferably locate in the path ofmovement of the supporting member a simple fiat spring 13 hav' ing itshooked free end 13 reciprocating in a slot: 14 to permit automaticlatching of such supporting member in moving the same into supportingposition but to compel manual manipulation to move said member todisengaging position.

I will now describe my preferred means for retaining the leaves foldedup against the bottom of the body portion of the table top or in a planeparallel thereto.

Obviously, when it is desired to change the shape of the table fromround to square,

. the supporting member will, be swung out from under the same whereuponthe leaf may then be dropped and moved upwardly so as to lie flatagainst the under surface of that portion of the table top body whichextends beyond the frame, and in order to retain such leaf in suchcompletely folded position, I preferably provide a pivoted dog or boltmember 14 which is preferably cut out from the body of the saidsupporting member and is seated within said member. Said dog ispreferably of the same material as said supporting and retaining member,is pivoted therein at l lto swing beneath the table leaf which isadapted to fold into proximity with said supporting member. and said dogor latching portion is provided with beveled edges 14. adapted tocooperate with beveled edges 1-1 in the seating slot of the supportingmember so as to provide suitable stopping surfaces when the same movedout of latching engagement and into the planes'of said supportingmember.

Having described my invention, I claim: 1. In a convertible table thecombination with a suitable frame, a table top having relativelystationary extensions extending beyond said frame, an extension leafhinged at the edges of each stationary extension and adapted to fold ina semi-circular path beneath said extension, a leaf-supporting brackethinged to swing in a horizontal -direction only andhaving its upper edgesubstantially flush with the under surfaces of the stationary extensionand folding leaf when the latter is in extended position, an arc-shapedtrack in the under surface of the extension leaf and a registeringarc-shaped track in the under surface of the stationary extension, and abearing iron secured to the leaf-supporting bracket and bearing 011 theupper surface of the track in the under surlll) face of the extensionleaf when the same is rection only and having its upper edgesubstantially flush with the under surface of the stationary extensionand. folding leaf when the latter is in extended position, an arc-shapedtrack in the under surface of the extension leaf, :1 registeringarc-shaped track in the under surface of the statibnmyy nanje 't0 thefomgoing specification in the extension, and a dog pivotally mounted mpresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

said leaf-supporting bracket and adapted HARLOW R. BROWN. to engage saidleaf when in its folded po- Witnesses: 5 sition. v NEMO M. FISCHER,

In Witness whereof, I have signed my HELEN V. HOLMES.

00mm of mm patent may be obtained for five cums each, by addressing theCommissioner of Patenm,

mahinmon, 1D. 0.

